BlueMesh: Degree-Constrained MultiHop Scatternet Formation for Bluetooth Networks

In this paper we describe BlueMesh, a new protocol for the establishment of scatternets, i.e., multi-hop wireless networks of Bluetooth devices. BlueMesh defines rules for device discovery, piconet formation and piconet interconnection so to generate connected scatternets with the following desirable properties. BlueMesh forms scatternets without requiring the Bluetooth devices to be all in each other transmission range. BlueMesh scatternet topologies are meshes with multiple paths between any pair of nodes. BlueMesh piconets are made up of no more than 7 slaves. Simulation results in networks with over 200 nodes show that BlueMesh is effective in quickly generating a connected scatternet in which each node, on average, does not assume more than 2.4 roles. Moreover, the route length between any two nodes in the network is comparable to that of the shortest paths between the nodes.